Insert Fields in a Microsoft Word Document to Display Variable Content
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated January 10, 2021
Applies to: Microsoft® Word® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 or 365 (Windows)
You can insert built-in or custom fields in Word documents to display variable content that will change when you update the fields. Some fields (like page numbers, merge fields or cross-references) are inserted automatically when you use Microsoft Word features. If you want to insert custom fields, you will need to create custom document properties.
By default, Word displays the result of a field rather than its field codes. You can right-click a field and select Toggle Field Codes to display field codes or field results.
Recommended article: How to Hide Comments in Word (or Display Them)
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If you are working with fields in Microsoft Word, you will be using quite a few function keys (such as F9). On some laptops, you will need to press the Fn key on your keyboard to enable your function keys. For example, instead of pressing F9 to update a field or fields, you would press Fn + F9.
Inserting built-in fields
To insert a field, click Quick Parts in the Text group on the Insert tab in the Ribbon. The Field command appears in the Quick Parts drop-down menu as follows:
Below is the Field dialog box in Microsoft Word with Page selected:
To insert a built-in field using the Field dialog box:
- Navigate to the location in the Word document where you want to insert a field.
- Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon and then click Quick Parts in the Text group. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select Field. A dialog box appears.
- In the list of Field names, select a field. You can filter the list by clicking the down arrow in the Categories list and selecting a category first. Select All to display all fields.
- Under Field properties, select any properties or options you want.
- To view the codes for a field in the Field box, click Field Codes. For some fields, this button is clicked by default.
- Ensure that Preserve Formatting During Updates is checked so that formatting you apply is not removed when the fields are updated.
- Click OK. The field is inserted into the document.
Format the field results by applying text formatting to the field using the Home tab in the Ribbon.
You can view or hide all field codes in your document by pressing Alt + F9. Field codes appear between braces or curly brackets { } and you cannot type these braces. Be sure to hide the field codes again by pressing Alt + F9.
To edit a built-in field in the Field dialog box:
- Right-click the field and then click Edit Field. A dialog box appears.
- Change the field properties and options.
- Click OK.
Understanding Word document properties
There are 3 different types of document properties in Word:
- Standard document properties (also called built-in document properties)
- Custom document properties
- Document library properties
Word documents contain a set of standard document properties such as Title, Author, Keywords and Comments. These properties are used to store metadata about your document. You cannot change the name of standard properties but you can edit the value of some of them (such as Title). Other standard properties that cannot be edited store data that is updated automatically (such as Size or Last Modified).
Document library properties are related to documents that are stored in a document library on a website or in a public folder (such as files in SharePoint).
In addition to the standard properties, you can create your own custom document properties. These properties can be created to store additional information in a document other than the standard document properties. For example, custom document properties could be created for Product1, Product2, Product3, Sponsor, Project Manager, Cell Phone or Disclaimer. Each custom document property must be assigned a name, a data type and a value. The four data types are Text, Date, Number and Yes or No.
After you create custom document properties for your Word document, you can then insert them as custom fields.
Adding a custom document property
To add a custom document property:
- Open the Word document in which you want to add a custom document property.
- Click the File tab in the Ribbon and then click Info on the left. Info is usually selected by default.
- On the right side of screen, click Properties. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select Advanced Properties. A dialog box appears.
- Click the Custom tab in the dialog box.
- Type a name for the custom document property in the Name box. You can also choose one of the other properties that appear in the drop-down list.
- Select Text, Date, Number or Yes or No as the data type for the custom property.
- Enter a value for the property in the Value box.
- Click Add. The custom property appears in the list at the bottom of the dialog box.
- Click OK.
After you have added a custom document property, you will be able to insert it into your document as a field.
In the example below, we’re adding a field for Project Manager:
After you click Add, the custom field appears in the Properties list:
Inserting custom document property fields
The value of a custom document property can be inserted in a Word document using DocProperty fields. Custom document properties that have been added to a document are saved with the document whether they are inserted as a DocProperty field or not. You can insert DocProperty fields multiple times in a document.
To insert a custom document property field using the Field dialog box:
Navigate to the location in the Word document where you want to insert a field.
- Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon and then click Quick Parts in the Text group. A drop-down menu appears.
- Select Field. A dialog box appears.
- In the list of Field names on the left, select DocProperty.
- Under Field properties, select a property name.
- To view the codes for a field in the Field box, click Field Codes. For some fields, this button is clicked by default.
- Ensure that Preserve Formatting During Updates is checked so that formatting you apply is not removed when the fields are updated.
- Click OK. The field is inserted into the document.
In the example below, we’re inserting the custom Project Manager field we created in Advanced Properties:
Updating built-in and custom fields
Word should automatically update fields when a document is opened. Many fields are also updated automatically when you go to Print Preview (click the File tab and then click Print). If you prefer, you can update fields manually.
To update a field manually, right-click the field and then click Update Field or press F9.
To update all fields manually in the main body of a document, press Ctrl + A to select all and then press F9.
Some fields in headers, footers or text boxes must be updated separately. Click in the header, footer or text box, press Ctrl + A to select all and then press F9. Page fields do not need to be updated manually because they update when you go the Print Preview.
If you want to edit a custom DocProperty field, you will need to edit it in the Advanced Properties dialog box.
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More resources
How to Create, Save, Edit and Use Templates in Word
How to Insert, Format and Update Cross-References in Word
5 Ways to Insert the Division Symbol in Word (Type or Insert ÷)
10 Microsoft Word Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for Selecting in Tables
How to Create a Table of Contents in Word (Insert, Format and Update a TOC)
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To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls. Content controls include things like check boxes, text boxes, date pickers, and drop-down lists. If you’re familiar with databases, these content controls can even be linked to data.
Show the Developer tab
If the developer tab isn’t displayed in the ribbon, see Show the Developer tab.
Open a template or a blank document on which to base the form
To save time, start with a form template or start from scratch with a blank template.
-
Go to File > New.
-
In Search online templates, type Forms or the type of form you want and press ENTER.
-
Choose a form template, and then select Create or Download.
-
Go to File > New.
-
Select Blank document.
Add content to the form
Go to Developer, and then choose the controls that you want to add to the document or form. To remove a content control, select the control and press Delete. You can set properties on controls once inserted.
Note: You can print a form that was created using content controls, but the boxes around the content controls will not print.
In a rich text content control, users can format text as bold or italic, and they can type multiple paragraphs. If you want to limit what users add, insert the plain text content control.
-
Click or tap where you want to insert the control.
-
Select Developer > Rich Text Content Control
or Plain Text Content Control .
or Plain Text Content Control 
.To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.
A picture control is often used for templates, but you can also add a picture control to a form.
-
Click or tap where you want to insert the control.
-
Select Developer > Picture Content Control
.
.To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.
Use building block controls when you want people to choose a specific block of text. For example, building block controls are helpful when you need to add different boilerplate text depending on the contract’s specific requirements. You can create rich text content controls for each version of the boilerplate text, and then you can use a building block control as the container for the rich text content controls.
-
Click or tap where you want to insert the control.
-
Go to DeveloperBuilding Block Gallery Content Control
(or Building Block Content Control). -
Select Developer and content controls for the building block.
(or Building Block Content Control).
-
Click or tap where you want to insert the control.
To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.
In a combo box, users can select from a list of choices that you provide or they can type in their own information. In a drop-down list, users can only select from the list of choices.
-
Go to Developer > Combo Box Content Control
or Drop-Down List Content Control . -
Select the content control, and then select Properties.
-
To create a list of choices, select Add under Drop-Down List Properties.
-
Type a choice in Display Name, such as Yes, No, or Maybe.
Repeat this step until all of the choices are in the drop-down list.
-
Fill in any other properties that you want.
Note: If you select the Contents cannot be edited check box, users won’t be able to click a choice.
or Drop-Down List Content Control 
.-
Click or tap where you want to insert the date picker control.
-
Select Developer > Date Picker Content Control
.
.To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.
-
Click or tap where you want to insert the check box control.
-
Select Developer > Check Box Content Control
.
.To set specific properties on the control, see Set or change properties for content controls.
Legacy form controls are for compatibility with older versions of Word and consist of legacy form and Active X controls.
-
Click or tap where you want to insert a legacy control.
-
Go to Developer > Legacy Forms
drop-down. -
Select the Legacy Form control or Active X Control that you want to include.
drop-down.Set or change properties for content controls
Each content control has properties that you can set or change. For example, the Date Picker control offers options for the format you want to use to display the date.
-
Select the content control that you want to change.
-
Go to Developer > Properties.
-
Change the properties that you want.
Add protection to a form
If you want to limit how much others can edit or format a form, use the Restrict Editing command:
-
Open the form that you want to lock or protect.
-
Select Developer > Restrict Editing.
-
After selecting restrictions, select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.
Advanced Tip:
If you want to protect only parts of the document, separate the document into sections and only protect the sections you want.
To do this, choose Select Sections in the Restrict Editing panel. For more info on sections, see Insert a section break.
Show the Developer tab
If the developer tab isn’t displayed in the ribbon, see Show the Developer tab.
Open a template or use a blank document
To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls. Content controls include things like check boxes, text boxes, and drop-down lists. If you’re familiar with databases, these content controls can even be linked to data.
-
Go to File > New from Template.
-
In Search, type form.
-
Double-click the template you want to use.
-
Select File > Save As, and pick a location to save the form.
-
In Save As, type a file name and then select Save.
-
Go to File > New Document.
-
Go to File > Save As.
-
In Save As, type a file name and then select Save.
Add content to the form
Go to Developer, and then choose the controls that you want to add to the document or form. To remove a content control, select the control and press Delete. You can set Options on controls once inserted. From Options, you can add entry and exit macros to run when users interact with the controls, as well as list items for combo boxes, .
-
In the document, click or tap where you want to add a content control.
-
On Developer, select Text Box, Check Box, or Combo Box.
-
To set specific properties for the control, select Options, and set .
-
Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each control that you want to add.
Options let you set common settings, as well as control specific settings. Select a control and then select Options to set up or make changes.
-
Set common properties.
-
Select Macro to Run on lets you choose a recorded or custom macro to run on Entry or Exit from the field.
-
Bookmark Set a unique name or bookmark for each control.
-
Calculate on exit This forces Word to run or refresh any calculations, such as total price when the user exits the field.
-
Add Help Text Give hints or instructions for each field.
-
OK Saves settings and exits the panel.
-
Cancel Forgets changes and exits the panel.
-
-
Set specific properties for a Text box
-
Type Select form Regular text, Number, Date, Current Date, Current Time, or Calculation.
-
Default text sets optional instructional text that’s displayed in the text box before the user types in the field. Set Text box enabled to allow the user to enter text into the field.
-
Maximum length sets the length of text that a user can enter. The default is Unlimited.
-
Text format can set whether text automatically formats to Uppercase, Lowercase, First capital, or Title case.
-
Text box enabled Lets the user enter text into a field. If there is default text, user text replaces it.
-
-
Set specific properties for a Check box.
-
Default Value Choose between Not checked or checked as default.
-
Checkbox size Set a size Exactly or Auto to change size as needed.
-
Check box enabled Lets the user check or clear the text box.
-
-
Set specific properties for a Combo box
-
Drop-down item Type in strings for the list box items. Press + or Enter to add an item to the list.
-
Items in drop-down list Shows your current list. Select an item and use the up or down arrows to change the order, Press — to remove a selected item.
-
Drop-down enabled Lets the user open the combo box and make selections.
-
-
Go to Developer > Protect Form.
Note: To unprotect the form and continue editing, select Protect Form again.
-
Save and close the form.
If you want, you can test the form before you distribute it.
-
Protect the form.
-
Reopen the form, fill it out as the user would, and then save a copy.
Show the Developer tab
-
On the right side of the ribbon, select
, and then select Ribbon Preferences. -
Under Customize, select Developer .
, and then select Ribbon Preferences.Open a template or a document on which to base the form
You can start with a blank document and create your own form. Or, to save time, you can start with a form template.
-
Go to File > New from Template.
-
In the left pane, expand Online Templates, and then select Forms.
-
Double-click the form template that you want to use.
Add content controls to the form
-
In the document, click where you want to add the control.
-
On the Developer tab, under Form Controls, select Text Box, Check Box, or Combo Box.
-
To set specific properties for the control, select Options, and then configure the properties that you want.
Note: To create a list of drop-down items in a combo box, select the combo box placeholder, click Options, and then add the items that you want to appear in the drop-down list.
-
Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each control that you want to add.
Add instructional text (optional)
Instructional text (for example, «Type First Name») in a text box can make your form easier to use. By default, no text appears in a text box, but you can add it.
-
Select the text box control that you want to add instructional text to.
-
On the Developer tab, under Form Controls, select Options.
-
In Default Text, type the instructional text.
-
Make sure that Fill-in enabled is selected, and then select OK.
Protect the form
-
On the Developer tab, under Form Controls, select Protect Form.
Note: To unprotect the form and continue editing, click Protect Form again.
-
Save and close the form.
Test the form (optional)
If you want, you can test the form before you distribute it.
-
Protect the form.
-
Reopen the form, fill it out as the user would, and then save a copy.
Creating fillable forms isn’t available in Word for the web.
You can create the form with the desktop version of Word with the instructions in Create a fillable form.
When you save the document and reopen it in Word for the web, you’ll see the changes you made.
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In Microsoft Word, you can insert built-in or custom fields into your Word document that may change within your document. In Word, the field feature inserts fields into your document; some fields will be inserted automatically, such as NumPages, NumWords, and Date.
What are Fields in Microsoft Word?
In Microsoft Word, a field is a placeholder for document information that can be changed. Microsoft Word displays the field result instead of the field codes.
How to add Fields to my Document?
There are various types of fields that you can add to your document; some field text will be inserted automatically, and some you have to modify in the dialog box before you add it to the document. In this tutorial, we will discuss how to add fields to your word documents.
To add text fields to your Word document, follow the steps below.
- Launch Microsoft Word
- Click anywhere on the document
- Click the Insert tab
- Click the Quick Parts button
- Click Field from the drop-down menu
- Choose a field name from the field name list.
- then, choose an option from the list on the right.
- Click OK
Launch Microsoft Word
Click anywhere on the Word document.
On the menu bar, click the Insert tab.
In the Text group, click the Quick Parts button.
Then select Field from the drop-down menu.
A Field dialog box will appear.
Inside the dialog box, there are various fields to choose from in the Field Name list.
Select a field from the Field Name list on the left.
In this tutorial, we chose to select the Date field.
Then, choose a field option from the list on the right.
Depending on the field name selected, the options on the right will change.
Then click OK.
The field is added to the Word document.
If you want to change the format of the field, you cannot change it directly on the Word document; you have to change it within the Field dialog box.
To change the format of the field, right-click the field and select Edit Field.
It will return to the Field dialog box, where you can change the format of the field and then click OK to see the field change.
We hope this tutorial helps you understand; how to insert a text field in Microsoft Word; if you have questions about the tutorial, let us know.
Shantel has studied Data Operations, Records Management, and Computer Information Systems. She is quite proficient in using Office software. Her goal is to become a Database Administrator or a System Administrator.
Configuring a Word Merge in SmartSimple is a three-step process:
- Create the MS Word document that will be used as the template. This page describes the process to add form fields to your Word document.
- Upload the Word document to a SmartFolder. (See Uploading Word Merge Document to a SmartFolder for instructions.)
- Create the Special — MS Word Merge custom field that maps the SmartSimple fields you wish to merge to the Word template.
Your Word document will contain Form Fields which are linked to «Bookmarks.» The SmartSimple Word Merge field will be configured to match the bookmarks up with SmartSimple variables in the third step.
In this step, you will add the Form Fields and assign Bookmarks to each field in your Word document that is to be merged. The steps vary slightly in different versions of Word.
Note that SmartSimple's Word Merge feature works with all versions of MS Word. As opposed to using the user's version of Word to create the merged document, the merge is performed by SmartSimple's Word Merge engine using an programmatic object compatible with MS Word (all versions). Once the merge is launched, SmartSimple streams the resultant document back to the client’s browser where the extension of the streamed document (*.doc, *.docx, etc.) will trigger the launching of MS Word. If the user does not have MS Word on a Windows machine, the process will simply open whatever program is associated with the document's extension.
Take note of all the Bookmarks that you add to the Form Fields below. They will be used in step 3: creating an MS Word Merge custom field.
Contents
- 1 MS Word 2000-2003
- 2 MS Word 2007
- 3 MS Word 2010/2013
- 3.1 Word 2010
- 3.2 Word 2013
- 3.3 Preparing Template for List View Export
- 4 See Also
MS Word 2000-2003
- From the View Menu select Toolbars and enable the Forms Toolbar
- Click in your Word document wherever you wish to insert a Form Field.
- On the Forms Toolbar click on the first button to insert a Form Field into your document:
- Right-click on the Form Field and select Properties. Then provide a name for the field in the Bookmark section.
MS Word 2007
- Click on the Menu button and select Word Options
- In the Popular section, select Show Developer Tab in the Ribbon
- Click in your Word document wherever you wish to insert a Form Field.
- On the Developer Menu select the Legacy Tools icon which is in the Controls section:
- On the Legacy Forms menu click the first icon to insert a Form Field.
- Right-click on the Form Field and select Properties. Then provide a name for the field in the Bookmark section.
MS Word 2010/2013
- Click in your Word document wherever you wish to insert a Form Field.
- Click on the Developer tab.
-
- If the «Developer» tab is not visible, click on File > Options > Customize Ribbon, and check off the «Developer» tab in the right hand frame.
- On the Developer tab, click on the Legacy Tools button:
. - Click on the Text Form Field button
.Word 2010
Word 2013
- A Text Form Field will be inserted at the cursor location.
- Right-click on the Form Field and select Properties. Then provide a name for the field in the Bookmark section.
In Word 2013, the document must be saved as a «Word 97-2003 Document»:
Preparing Template for List View Export
List View Export to a Word Merge field required the fields used be Word Merge instead of the old bookmarks which is described above. This method will also work for Word Merge fields used outside of the list view.
To ensure the list view export functions, fields must be created using the following:
- In Word 2007 and higher, select Mailings from the ribbon menu.
- If you haven’t already, click on Select Receipients then Use Existing List.
- When the Select Data Source dialog box appears, select a blank Excel document (or any existing Excel document you have accessible). This will enable the required buttons.
Note: If you do not rename the field, then the data merged within will be the same for all like-named fields.
See Also
To set up a Word merge:
- Step 1 — Create the MS Word document that will be used as the template.
- Step 2 — Upload the Word document to a SmartFolder.
- Step 3 — Create a Special — MS Word Merge custom field.
Advanced Word Merge Features Include:
- Exporting List View Results to Microsoft Word
- Uploading a MS Word Merge Document to a Custom Field
- Including Tables in a Word Merge Document
- Using ReportProperty with a Word Merge Document
- Including Check Boxes on an MS Word Merge Document
- Including XML on an MS Word Merge Document
- Using Conditional Logic on a MS Word Merge Document
There are two simple methods to create fillable fields in Word. One is to create custom fields. The other is to use developer tools and the various data-entry controls that are available there.
Whenever there’s a need for fillable forms, people often turn toward advanced PDF editors with interactive form tools. However, not many people realize that it’s simple to create fillable forms in Word.
There are two methods to do this in Word. One is to use text boxes throughout and then creating custom fields. The other is to use developer tools and the various data-entry controls that are available there.
Which Option Should You Choose?
The method you use depends on what kind of form you’re creating.
You should use the custom field method if the form:
- Has only text fields to fill out
- You don’t mind training your users how to fill out custom fields
- You need forms filled out quickly
You should use developer tools if the form:
- Requires drop-down lists or checkboxes
- You’re sending an individual file to each user
- You don’t want to have to train users on how to use the form
Once you’ve decided which approach you want to take, you can learn how to use each option below.
Create Fillable Forms In Word with Custom Fields
Creating a fillable form with fields is very simple. First, create your form by typing the name for each field and filler text for where the answers should go.
Next, you’ll need to create custom fields for data entry. To do this, select File, Options, and Properties. Then, under Properties, select Advanced Properties.
This will open a Document Properties dialog window. Select the Custom tab.
This window is where you’ll create each custom field that will go into your fillable form. Then, one at a time, name each field and give it an initial value.
Select Add to add each field, and then continue by entering all of the fields in your form.
Select OK when you’re done.
In your document, highlight the first field in your form. Then, in the Word menu, click on the Insert menu, click the Quick Parts dropdown, and select Fields. If Quick Parts doesn’t appear under the Insert menu, you’ll need to add Quick Parts to the ribbon to access the Field item.
Click on DocProperty under Field names in the pop-up window, and click on Your_Name (or whatever you named the field) under Property.
Continue this process for all remaining fields in your form until they’re all converted to fields.
You can learn more about using custom fields in a variety of ways to automate your documents.
Filling out a Form with Custom Fields
Now, all your users need to fill out the form is to go through all of the custom fields and enter the values.
To do this, they’ll need to select File, Options, and Properties. Under Properties, select Advanced Properties. This will open a Document Properties dialog window. Select the Custom tab.
In the Document Properties window, your users need to select each of the properties, enter the correct value for those fields, and select Modify.
After entering the custom fields’ values, clicking OK will add those values to the correct fields in the form.
You can update each form in the field by right-clicking on it and selecting Update Field. Or, you can select all of the fields and press F9.
Once they’re all updated, the customized Word form will contain all the answers entered into the custom fields.
Your user can then save the form and send it to you with all the fields properly filled out.
As you can see, this approach saves a lot of time because all of the field values can be entered quickly in one place.
Create Fillable Forms In Word with Developer Tools
If you need a more versatile form, then you’re better off using developer tools in Word to create the required form entry fields. Before you can do this, you’ll need to enable the developer menu in Word.
Select the File menu, and select Options. In the Word Options dialog window, select Customize Ribbon from the left navigation pane. Under Choose commands from, select Main tabs. If Developer is already displayed in the right pane, select the checkbox to enable it. If it isn’t, select Developer in the left pane and select the Add>> button to add it to the right pane.
Select OK to finish. Now you should see Developer appear in the Windows menu.
Open a new Word document by selecting File from the menu, select New, and choose Blank document.
Select Developer in the menu, and select Design Mode.
Insert a Text Field
For a text field entry, choose the Plain Text Content Control.
This will insert a text entry box into the fillable form.
Insert a Drop-Down List
To add a dropdown box entry, select Drop-Down List Content Control.
This will insert a drop-down list into the fillable form. However, to fill out the list box, you need to set up the list. To do this, right-click the drop-down list control and select Properties. In the Content Control Properties box, select the Add button to add new items to the list.
When you’re done, select OK. Now you’ll see the drop-down list appear in your fillable form.
You won’t see the dropdown list while you’re creating the form in Design Mode. But you can select Design Mode to turn it off and test what the drop-down list will look like.
Insert a Date Picker
Another useful tool to use for a fillable form in Word is the Date Picker Content Control. Select this to add a date picker option in your form.
You don’t have to do anything to customize this control. It’ll work as required to let the user choose a date for this field.
Insert Check Boxes
The next control that’s useful in a fillable form is the Check Box Content Control.
First, insert the number of checkboxes you need in your form after writing the question above it.
Next, type the text for each selection beside each checkbox.
Testing Your Fillable Form in Word
You can add any number of controls throughout your fillable form to suit your needs. When you’re finished, select Design mode from the Controls menu to turn off Design Mode and see your finished fillable form.
Test all of the controls in your form to ensure that they work as you expect.
As you can see, creating a fillable form in Word isn’t as difficult as it may seem. The approach you choose depends on the complexity of the form and the types of responses you’re looking for.
Give it a try and see what kind of form you can create in Word using either of the two methods above.
